Assembly table for manufacturing of mats used in road construction

Abstract

A three-dimensional frame structure for guiding and positioning elements used in the construction of a mat for construction roads. The structure holds the components of the mat in position to insure uniformity of assembled mats. The uniformity is assured by providing a template to hold the components of a mat into position during the fabrication of the mats. A method of a manufacture for mats for use in a artificial construction road which utilizes an assembly frame to position the components of a mat during the mat's manufacture into a predetermined arrangement to insure the uniformity of each mat assembled so that the mats may be interchangeably used in the field.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A structure for positioning component elements of an artificial road construction system into position within a predetermined arrangement, with longitudinal and cross piece components for assembly wherein said structure comprises a base assembly, a support assembly fixed to said base assembly and a top assembly connected to said support, assembly wherein the top assembly of the structure comprises: (a) four longitudinal elements wherein the first and second longitudinal elements, are of even length and the third and fourth elements, with guide means and stop means, are of relatively longer length than said first and second elements and wherein said four elements are positioned horizontally within a single plane and are fastened end to end to form a rectangular perimeter presenting an upper surface with an outer edge;   (b) a plurality of horizontal interior longitudinal members, each of said longitudinal members each affixed at one perpendicularly to one of said longer perimeter elements and at its other end to the opposite longer perimeter element so that each of said interior horizontal elements is affixed parallel to said shorter perimeter elements and within the same plane as the other interior elements;   (c) guide means are fixed to the upper surfaces of the outer two of the interior horizontal longitudinal members, and to the two longer perimeter beams, and stop means are provided on the two shorter perimeter beams and on one of the longer perimeter beams;   (d) wherein said guide means and stop means are positioned so that the component elements of an artificial road unit under construction may be positioned as desired to assure uniformity and interchangability of completed artificial road mats; and wherein;   (e) said base assembly is formed from five longitudinal members fashioned into a rectangular frame, wherein all five longitudinal members are positioned horizontally to rest directly on the ground, the base assembly comprising first and second perimeter members of even length and relatively longer third and fourth perimeter members of even length connected end to end to form a rectangle, and wherein the fifth longitudinal member is of even length with the first and second longitudinal members and is connected parallel to the first and second longitudinal members with the first end of the fifth longitudinal member connected to the mid-point of the third member and the second end of the fifth longitudinal member connected perpendicularly to the mid-point of the fourth longitudinal member.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said guide means and stop means affixed to said top perimeter longitudinal elements comprise: (a) stop means attached to and projecting upwardly from the perimeter surface and edge of each of said shorter perimeter elements running the length of each of said shorter perimeter elements, parallel to the longitudinal axis of each of said shorter perimeter elements;   (b) stop means positioned at intervals in a line along the outer edge of one of the two longer perimeter beam elements, the stop means fixed to the upper surface of the beam at locations corresponding to the locations of the horizontal interior longitudinal members;   (c) guide means positioned at intervals along the length of each of the two longer perimeter beam elements, each guide means fixed to the upper surface of a beam perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that beam, the guide means located to position the cross piece of a mat assembly; and   (d) guide means positioned at intervals along the length of the two outermost interior horizontal longitudinal members, each guide means fixed to the upper surface of a horizontal member perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that member and located to position the longitudinal pieces of a mat assembly.   
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the base assembly, support assembly, and top assembly are fabricated from metal structural shapes, and wherein: (a) the top means projecting upwardly from each of the two shorter perimeter elements is formed from a narrow metal plate running the length of the perimeter element, and each plate is welded along a lower edge to the upper surface of a perimeter element at the outermost edge;   (b) the stop means at intervals along one of the two longer perimeter beams, and the guide means on both of the longer perimeter beams, and the guide means positioned on the two interior horizontal elements are formed from narrow metal plates welded along their lower edges to the upper surfaces of elements of the top assembly.   
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 1 wherein: (a) the first and second longitudinal perimeter elements, are of even length and the third and fourth perimeter elements, with guide means and stop means, are of relatively longer length than said first and second elements and wherein said four perimeter elements are positioned horizontally and are fastened in end to end relationship to form a rectangle;   (b) a plurality of horizontal interior longitudinal members, each of said longitudinal members affixed at a first end perpendicularly to one of said longer perimeter elements and at a second end to the second longer perimeter element so that each of said interior horizontal elements, is affixed parallel to said shorter perimeter elements and within the same plane as the other interior elements: said plane which is defined by the perimeter elements;   (c) guide means are fixed to the upper surfaces of the outer two of the interior horizontal longitudinal members; and,   (d) wherein said guide means and stop means are positioned so that the component elements of an artificial road unit under construction may be positioned as desired to assure uniformity and interchangability of completed artificial road mats.   
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 4 wherein: (a) stop means attached to and projecting upwardly from the surface of each of said shorter perimeter elements running the length of each of said perimeter elements, parallel to the longitudinal axis of each of said perimeter elements.   (b) stop means positioned at intervals in a line along the outer edge of one of the two longer perimeter beam elements, the stop means fixed to the upper surface of the beam at locations corresponding to the locations of the horizontal interior longitudinal members;   (c) guide means positioned at intervals along the length of each of the two longer perimeter beam elements, each guide means fixed to the upper surface of a beam perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that beam, the guide means located to position the cross piece of a mat assembly; and,   (d) guide means positioned at intervals along the length of the two outermost interior horizontal longitudinal members, each guide means fixed to the upper surface of a horizontal member perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that member and located to position the longitudinal members of a mat.   
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 5 wherein: (a) the stop means projecting upwardly from each of the two shorter perimeter elements is formed from a narrow metal plate running the length of the perimeter element, and the plates are welded along their lower edges to the upper surfaces of the perimeter elements at their outer edge;   (b) the stop means at intervals along one of the two longer perimeter beams, and the guide means on both of the longer perimeter beams, and the guide means positioned on the two interior horizontal elements are formed from narrow metal plates welded along their lower edges to the upper surfaces of elements of the top assembly.